Houka
by Frankenstein's Mom
Summary: Ichigo has a younger cusin. She's cool, really sweet, good at sports, oh and did I mention she's a "Houka". Oh and she had a shinigami parent. Things go haywire once she starts to meet other shinigami though. I made revisions to EVERY chapter!DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1

"Going crazy for a week, the girlfriend's gonna freak, because I know that I'd be freakin too 'cause that's those thing that girlfriends do!"

"Flame! Could you turn down the singing?!"

WHOA! Hold up. You're probably kind of in the dark right now, right? Yeah, so, lets rewind.

Glass shattered as a car was thrown into the air out of nowhere and landed against a light post. There was a bright orange light and a girl screamed, "Mom! Dad!"

WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA WHOA! Too, too far back!

There was a knock at Ichigo's door. When he opened the door, "What the hell?"

Perfect.

Karin walked up behind Ichigo. "Hey you finally came back." Then came Yuzu and Isshin. Yuzu's face lit up with excitement. Then Isshin walked over to the doorway. There, stood a girl with short brown-orange hair, amber eyes, and light olive skin. She was holding two suitcases and had a red, orange, and yellow backpack. "I thought you were half way around the world. When did you get back?" Yuzu asked.

The girl looked down and didn't answer. Then Isshin walked over to her, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"There was an accident." he simply said, "You see, Kasuo here, will be living with us from now on." Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu were all confused right now. "But why can't she stay with Aunt Akane and Uncle Daichi?" Yuzu asked confused. Kasuo bit her bottom lip, "They... Well... Uh..." Isshin looked at his three children and continued, "They died in a car accident last Friday." he lowered his head and then looked at his niece. Kasuo was still biting her lip and her eyes were shut.

She was obviously trying to hold back tears.

Yuzu broke into hysterical tears, Ichigo was still too shocked to do anything, and Karin started to cry a little bit.

Yuzu ran to Kasuo and hugged her tightly. Karin hugged her older cousin as well. After it sunk in a little bit, Ichigo hugged her too.

After a while, Isshin broke the silence, "Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu, why don't you help her get settled in the extra room."

Ichigo grabbed one of her suitcases, and then lead Kasuo to her room.

Ichigo put her bag down and heard Isshin call him down stairs.

When Ichigo got to the bottom of the stairs, he was tackled by the crazy, seems like he's always hyped up on caffeine, Keigo Asano. "Ichigo! Chad, Mizuiro and me are heading to the movies to see if we could find hot dates there! You wanna come?!" He asked elbowing him and winking.

"I believe its Chad, Mizuiro and _I_." a voice from behind Ichigo spoke. Ichigo turned around, and his other three friends poked their heads behind him, and saw Kasuo.

"Oh. Hey." Ichigo simply said.

Isshin walked up to the girl on the staircase and said, "Kasuo, why don't you go wit them? It will give you a chance to meet your class mates."

Kasuo looked at him and said, "Sorry, no can do... I'm hungry." Kasuo got off the stairs and walked towards the kitchen.

Keigo watched her walk away, then turned to Ichigo, "Hey, who was that?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and said, "That was my cousin, Kasuo."

"Your dad said she was coming into our class."

"Yeah."

"Cool."

Ichigo looked at his friend and then caught on, "Don't even think about it Keigo! She's only fourteen and the only reason she's in our class is because she skipped a grade which makes her smarter than you!"

Keigo looked disappointed, but not defeated. "I just wanted to teacher what our grade and school is like. A pretty girl like her will get it a lot!"

That response was met with a swift smack across the face.

Ichigo left with his friends after double-checking with Kasuo that she didn't want to go with them. Kasuo simply answered "No," each time.

Then right before Ichigo left, he told her to go walk around and see what Karakura town has to offer her.

Outside she could hear one of his friends say, "I don't need to find a hot date anymore. I need to save myself for Kasuo."

Ichigo hit him again.

"Joking simply joking my fine fellow friend."

"Keigo."

"Yes Mizuiro?"

"That made absolutely no sense what so ever."

"Yes-m."

"What?"

"Exactly."

Kasuo opened up the refrigerator and looked around. She found... Nothing with a nice heaping side of... Squat. She was about to close the door when a little black head of hair popped up next to her. "Hey Kasu." Karin spoke. Kasuo looked at her little cousin, trying to hide her pain. "Hey Karin. You hungry too?"

"Not really."

Kasuo shut the refrigerator door and looked around the semi-unfamiliar kitchen, then at Karin, "Sooo...." she started, "Ichigo wants me to go around town to, well, look around, I guess... You wanna come?"

Karin shrugged, and Kasuo went to go back upstairs. "I am a little hungry." Karin spoke. "Uncle Isshin, Karin and I are gonna go around town!" Kasuo called as she grabbed her stuff and Karin and walked out the door. Well more like ran out the door but whatever.


	2. Back in town, spirtual crap already

Back in town, spiritual crap already

Kasuo was amazed. The last time she was in Karakura had to have been when she was at least nine, nine and a half. Before she moved to America and back. Everything was so, so not like New York. Even up state by Lake George, Karakura Town had nothing on those places. She was enjoying being back, and Karin could tell. As she looked from side to side, her face was glowing with excitement.

Karin was pretty good when it came to reading people. Especially when it came to Kasuo. The two of them have been like sisters for a while. After Kasuo visited for support after their mom died, they became almost inseparable. Well in private though.

Karin got a web cam, so did Kasuo, and that's how they stayed in touch. Every once in a while, Kasuo would send an e-mail to everyone saying how they were and all that, but she mostly talked to Karin with the web cam.

"It's pretty different from America right Kasuo?"

"It sure is. I wonder why my parents didn't want me growing up around here."

"Maybe because they heard of all the weird supernatural phenomena that go around here."

"Nah, when you live in a family of three and all three of you could see ghosts, those types of things follow you around everywhere. Even to the land of freedom," Kasuo laughed on the last part. She really wished that she could have been here more with her parents, instead of in America. She would have really liked more family reunions too. Just to get the whole family together and just to say hi. And while she's wishing, lets make the family reunions in Karakura town. Just to enjoy it. She didn't even want to do anything except walk around. Then her stomach growled. "Oh yeah, well, you want to get something to eat now?" Kasuo asked her little cousin.

Karin nodded and they headed to the nearest place that sold food. Not noticing the pair of turquoise eyes watching them from a great height.

They wound up getting a simple hamburger and eating at the place. Kasuo had brought a sting backpack with her and it seemed a little weird to Karin. "Hey Kasu, why did you bring that backpack with you?" She had to ask.

"Because it's better than carrying a purse. I can hold my laptop in it; I can hold my notebook, my sketchbook, my camera, my cell phone, and all the important stuff. I just think purses are for like preps and stiffs like that. It's much more practical." She took a bit from her hamburger and stared out the window.

There was an awkward silence between the two girls. Something that doesn't happen very often between the two. Then Karin noticed the ring on Kasuo's pointer finger. "Kasu, isn't that Aunt Akane's ring?" Kasuo just looked down at the ring on her finger, and sighed. "Yeah, it is. She left it for me in her will. My dad also left me something that seems kind of strange. I don't even know what it is and I never even saw it until after their death." Then the whole store shook, and Kasuo's attention went back out of the window. "Karin, tell me, do you have a headache?"

Karin grabbed her forehead, "Well now that you mention it..."

Kasuo bit her bottom lip, "That's what I thought." She shoved the rest of her burger into her mouth and swallowed quickly. Then she grabbed Karin's arm and ran out of the restaurant. _'This can't be good.'_ Kasuo thought as she dragged Karin towards the source of chaos, when Karin came to an abrupt halt. Kasuo whipped her head around, "What's the matter Karin. I really think I should get you home as fast as I can."

"But it's a hollow and it's in that direction. I don't think we should go that way." She was dead serious. So was Kasuo when she tugged Karin's arm a little more to get her going again. "I'll beat the pulp out of it. Now come on. Ichigo probably knows about it and he should be there anytime soon. It'll all be okay. I promise."

Karin took her word for it and the two girls started running again.

When the two girls got at least ten blocks away from the Kurosaki house, there was a huge hollow. Kasuo looked up and mumbled under her breath, "Holy shit."

She was all ready to fight it when a man came out of nowhere and killed it. (N.S. Can hollow's be killed, or just re-killed and sent to like hell or something? Some things I'll just never know) Then he turned around to face Kasuo and said grinning, "Kasuo! It's so good to see you again!"

Kasuo took a step back and away from the man. She didn't know who he was or how he knew her name. "Who are you?" She said in a nasty tone of voice. Then the man took off his green and white striped hat and revealed his blond hair. Kasuo's jaw dropped. "Uncle Keiske?"

"UNCLE?!"

Short chapter I know but I'm just bored right now and I don't feel like writing more for this right now. :Q -Yawn- I'm also tired and excited.... VERY EXCITED! I made a very prestigious drama program! I'm so proud of myself. And now I have an ego the size of Toshiro Hitsugaya.... not that big right? :D

(&) (&)

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(4 4)

( 2 2) LUV MY BUNNY! I made it one day when I was bored and now I use it in almost everything. One of my fics has like five of them in one chapter! OMG! I lost my reading glasses and that's why I've been making soo many typing mistakes!! :D x_x


	3. Don Kappa Mikey

Disclaimer: My friend is permanently scared from anime... my work there is done.

Kasuo stared at her "Uncle Keiske".

"Kasuo, he... he... He's your uncle?" Ichigo asked astounded. Kasuo and Keiske laughed at his question. "Ichigo, if I was Kasuo's uncle, that would make me related to you. I'm more like a god parent."

"Yeah. Him and Aunt Yoruichi." Kasuo said. Then a woman walked over to Kasuo and Karin, "Kasuo, you don't have to call us that anymore, you're fourteen." She said.

"Yeah," Keiske sighed, "Doesn't time fly Yoruichi?"

"Especially when we don't see you for twelve years."

Kasuo crossed her arms and looked away from Yoruichi, "Not my fault." She said, the smile on her face fading. Not only did this bring her parents into her head again, but made her upset that she didn't get to spend much time with her parents, Keiske, and Yoruichi. "Well, we'll see you three tomorrow." Yoruichi said as the two finished.

Ichigo faced Kasuo and Karin with somewhat of a stern look on his face, "Kasuo," He spoke the most seriously Kasuo has ever heard from him, "bring Karin home right now."

Kasuo gave him a lazy left handed solute and said, "Yes sir Mr. Shinigami sir." and walked away with her little cousin annoyed as ever at Ichigo. Then she whipped her head around and said, "Oh and by the way, the next time something life-changing happens to ya, make sure you keep it a secret like you did with becoming a shinigami." She said sarcastically. Then she whipped her head around and walked away with Karin.

A few blocks from the house, a fancy black limo drove by. "Damn that's a fancy car. Keep your damn money to yourselves!" Kasuo yelled jokingly. Then the car stopped and backed up. Karin looked at her older cousin, "Oh nice Kasuo, now we're gonna get it."

"Maybe if we run fast enough we can get away."

Then a man stepped out and moved towards Karin yelling, "Karakura Red! Long time no see!"

Karin flinched at the man's loud voice and started to back up slowly. "Hey buddy!" Kasuo said tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around and Kasuo punched him in the gut. "Leave her alone!"

"Uh, Kasuo," Karin started.

"Yes?"

"You just punched Don Konongi in the gut."

"Who's Don Kappa Mikey?"

The man started to get up, "Who am I? Who am I?!" He started to yell. This scared Kasuo a little bit and she backed away also. "Uhh..."

_10 minutes later_

"Uhh... Yeah, I still don't get why you have to bother my little cousin you ped." Kasuo said.

Karin looked at Kasuo like she was crazy. _'Did she just call Don Konongi a pedophile? Oh well, if the shoe fits.'_

"You see Miss, I'm making a team of super heroes and your dear little cousin is Karakura Red! The leader of the group." He yelled and boasted. "Buahahahahahaha." He laughed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Kasuo got an idea to mess with this guy's head, "But how can she be the leader of the group when you're the one that organizes them?" She said placing her arms next to her shoulders like she was holding plates.

Don Konongi stopped laughing and looked at Kasuo. "Gee, you got a point. Yeah, you're right. Hey since you made that clear to me little girl, how would you like to be Karakura Blue?"

Kasuo grabbed Karin and started walking away, "When hell freezes over!" She called back with out even turning around.

A few feet from the house, Kasuo stopped and turned around swiftly. "What's the matter Kasu?" Karin asked.

"Karin do you feel like we're being followed?" She asked seriously.

Karin shook her head no and proceeded to walk into the house. "Maybe it's just my paranoia." Kasuo said to herself before walking into the house.

In a tree a few feet from where Kasuo and Karin were standing were two people, one boy and one girl. "That's the girl?" The boy asked.

"The girl with the brown-orange hair is Kasuo." The other spoke

"Good. We'll meet her formally tomorrow."

_The next day_

Kasuo was standing by her bed, looking at her suitcase, trying to find the dress her mom gave her for her birthday last year. It was a small black dress, with black beading. She needed to get it out for the funeral. To the wakes, she was going to wear a formal, black, three quarter sleeve shirt and a black skirt.

After she got dressed, she put her hair in a French twist. Kasuo looked in the mirror and held back her tears. _'How did this all happen so fast? Why now? We weren't even in Karakura Town for a whole week. It was all that stupid hollow's fault.'_ She thought angered.

_Flash back_

Kasuo and her parents were in the car, driving on a highway. They just moved back to Karakura Town two days ago. Kasuo was already edgy because she left all her friends behind in America. Also she left her best friend, Sam, at the worst time possible. Sam's dog, Midnight, had another seizure and was put to sleep the day Kasuo left. There was one thing she was happy about, seeing her family again. The last time she saw Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu, and Isshin was when Masaki died and she was the only one with a clear mind because she didn't know her very well.

"Won't this be great Kasuo? The whole family back together again. And this time it's not for a death in the family." Daichi spoke from the front seat.

"Dad, there's a hollow near by," Kasuo spoke, then swallowed, "Maybe we should get rid of it. You know, before it hurts someone, or gets the soul it's after."

Akane laughed, "Kasuo dear, it'll be okay, that's why there are shinigamis. We don't need to take care of everything spiritual. It's okay if we leave this one to them." She said turning around to her daughter.

Kasuo looked her mother in the eye, then smiled, "Okay mom." Then she looked out the window until there was a loud thud and the car shook. "Daichi be careful!" Akane screamed. "The hollow!" Kasuo yelled right before the car was flung into the air and hit a light post.

Glass shattered as the top of the car landed against the light post. There was a bright orange light and the scream of a girl was audible, "Mom! Dad!" Kasuo screamed.

Akane was clutching the door handle so strongly, that the power of the Kasai came out and a flame started in her palm. The flame hit some gasoline. Yet, the fire hit none of the three. To Kasuo, it actually felt somewhat cold, like ice.

Somehow, the three were moved from the accident to safe ground, but Akane and Daichi were pretty beaten up. Kasuo called an ambulance as fast as she could.

It turned out that as soon as the car hit the post, someone called an ambulance for them and it was there quicker than Kasuo thought it would have been.

All three had to go to the hospital, but Akane and Daichi needed to be there the most. On the ride to the hospital, Kasuo called Isshin to tell him what was happening.

One of the men in the ambulance told Kasuo that she needed stitches in her leg, and that after she got the stitches, Isshin could go and pick her up, but her parents couldn't go anywhere.

Later, after Kasuo's stitches were in Isshin was there to pick her up. Before she left, she wanted to see her parents, but she couldn't because they were both getting an operation to get glass removed from their bodies. Kasuo held back tears and asked if they could stay until she was allowed to see them.

As Isshin talked to his brother on the other side of the room, Kasuo knelt by her mom's bed and began to talk to her. "Mom, I thought you said a soul reaper would take care of it."

"But Kasuo dear, there was a shinigami there. If that one shinigami didn't pull us out of the fire, then we all may have died on the spot. Oh and Kasuo, I need to tell you something. Something important. If you have any questions, you could always ask Uncle Keiske and Aunt Yoruichi. Your father used to be a shinigami. He gave up that life to start a life with me. There are people that live in this world that are soul reapers, but most people don't know it. And me… well I'm what you call a Houka. I have the power to make a flame within my fist. We both past down our abilities to you. You have the ability to create a fire within your fist and if you go to the academy, you could become a shinigami with ease."

Kasuo listened to her mother and held back her tears the best she could. This was a hard time for her. She didn't know if her parents were going to be okay.

Only three days later, Kasuo's mom and dad died. Kasuo was devastated. As Akane and Daichi's lawyer looked over their will and their living relatives. Option one was to move back to America and live with their family friend, option two was to live with Keiske and Yoruichi, and the third option was to live with Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu. Kasuo decided to live with her cousins because she had barely seen them over the past six years.

_End flashback_

Kasuo put in two diamond stud earrings that her mom gave her for when she got an infection in her ear piercing. Kasuo looked in the mirror in her room, a pathetic smile on her face, "Dad, you were so horribly wrong and right at the same time," then her smile faded. "This time it's two."

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK_

"Come in!" Kasuo called.

Ichigo came in and closed the door behind him. "Kasuo," he began completely serious. "Have you been getting the feeling that you're being followed?"

Kasuo looked down, "yeah. Since we... I came to Karakura Town. I've just assumed that it was a ghost and I should leave it be. Why?"

_Outside_

"Captain! He's going to blow our cover!"

"Calm down! Ichigo _should _be smarter than that."

_Inside_

"Oh so you know. Good I don't have to explain that ghosts follow us around all the time. Now come on. We should go now." Ichigo said. He put a comforting hand on Kasuo's back.

"Okay." Kasuo walked out the door.

Ichigo looked out the window to the two in the tree. "You owe me big time!" He said viciously to the people.

"Did you say something Ichigo?" Kasuo asked.

Ichigo turned around, "nope, not a word." He laughed nervously as the two of them left for the wake.

The funeral home was a decent size. Not to big, but just the right size for everyone that wanted to come.

Isshin stood by the door to greet people that came in and talk with them, while Karin and Yuzu sat by the wall near the middle of the room. Ichigo and Kasuo sat in the middle of the room; Kasuo was closer to the coffins than Ichigo was though. Every once in a while, Isshin would walk over to Kasuo to introduce someone to her saying that they knew her parents from college or grew up with them.

Kasuo was wondering why no soul reapers were there. _'At least one knows about their deaths,'_ Kasuo thought. She was just about fed up meeting people that knew her parents growing up when Ichigo and a few others came over to her.

"Kasuo, these are some of my friends that I told about this. I hope you don't mind but I told them that you could use some help from some friends."

Then he started introducing them from left to right, "this is Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad, Orihime, Tatski, and Rukia."

"Hello," she said in a small voice, trying her best to hold back tears piling up in her eyes. She felt like she was just about to lose all self-control when Orihime sat down next to her and started to comfort her. "I know what you're going through," she said in a sweet voice. "My brother died when I was about ten when my family died. Though, my only family was my brother, but he was like a father to me."

To Kasuo, Orihime's sweet voice reminded her of her best friend from America.

Tatski sat down next to Orihime and Rukia sat down next to Kasuo.

"You know Kasuo," Rukia started, "I grew up an orphan and I just found out recently that the man that adopted me is actually supposed to be my brother-in-law. Just be glad that your life isn't as messed up as that just sounded."

Kasuo couldn't help but laugh at that, but when she closed her eyes and laughed, tears fell, causing everyone to believe Rukia's story made her cry.

"Okay that's enough story telling for you Rukia," Ichigo started as he pulled her away from Kasuo.

"Ichigo, I'm not crying from her story, I was laughing actually," Kasuo said getting up. "Rukia, could you come to the bathroom with me?" she asked.

Rukia nodded and walked out of the room with Kasuo.

"Rukia, there's something I would like to ask you," Kasuo said as soon as they got into the bathroom.

"What is it Kasuo?" Rukia asked.

"What's your last name?"

"Kuchiki. Why do you ask?"

Kasuo turned to face the black haired girl, a serious look on her face, "are you a shinigami?"

Rukia was caught off guard. She surly didn't expect a little girl she just met to ask her if she was a shinigami. "Why would you think I'm a shinigami?" She asked.

"Kuchiki," Kasuo repeated. "One of the Noble names or whatever it is. Shihouin and Shiba are two others."

Rukia didn't know what to say so she stayed quiet until the door opened again.

"I'll be right back Captain. I'm just going to make sure my hair is okay," an orange haired woman said to someone out side the door.

She walked in and looked at the two girls. "Oh Rukia, nice to see you again. How's life been since you left Soul…" she trailed off after seeing Kasuo.

"Soul land! It's a nickname for New Orleans in America!" she said matter of fact.

"M-Hm," Kasuo said disbelievingly. When she looked back at Rukia, she was able to put it together.

Kasuo looked at the other woman and asked again, "Are you a shinigami?"

The orange haired woman just put a hand on Kasuo's head and said, "my my aren't you smart? Yes I am a shinigami. I'm here to go to the wake of my dear friend Daichi. I grew up and went to school with him you know."

Kasuo raised and eyebrow and Rukia smacked her forehead. "Okay so two shinigami actually came to my mom and dad's wake. Well two and a half, but he had to be here so Ichigo doesn't count." Then it occurred to Kasuo. "Wait, if Rukia tried not to let me know she was a shinigami then why weren't you as cautious? Also, there are other people here that claim they grew up with my father too. I don't think they are shinigami. What the hell are you on?" Kasuo asked rudely.

"Well there are many possibilities. I'm not sure which method your father may have used. Or it could just be that those people exaggerated. Maybe some of them were even shinigami," she said.

"What's your name?" Kasuo asked.

"Rangiku Masomoto."

"Kasuo Kurosaki. If you'll excuse me now, I really think I must be getting back."

And with that, Kasuo left.

Right before she got back into the room, she spotted Ichigo talking with a short boy with white hair. A _short _boy with white hair. (Expect short jokes)

She paid no mind to it and walked back into the room.

After two more hours, more greetings and sympathies, and a visit from Keiske and Yoruichi, it finally ended.

Kasuo saw the same boy outside talking with Rangiku. When Rangiku spotted Kasuo, she pulled the boy over to her.

"This is Kasuo. Kasuo, this is Toshiro Hitsugaya."

**Wow that was long, but I have ideas that I want to put in it! I think I'm making progress. Oh and don't forget I'm going to make some random short jokes. I'm sorry to all the Toshiro fans and I'm not trying to be mean because trust me I'm with you. He's cool. But I was playing against him in Bleach: shattered sword today and I thought of some stupid short jokes that I can't let go to waist. See ya!**


End file.
